South Island

Dave Mitchell was amongst the small clan of kiwis who embraced the then embryonic pursuit of mountain biking back in the eighties. The fashion was appalling - a mash of tramping kit, sagging lycra and sometimes even gaiters over leather walking boots. Shocks, clipless pedals, disk brakes and dropper posts were yet to be imagined.

In the last of their pre-covid-19 adventures, Dave Mitchell and Ditte van der Meulen revisit the hilly finger of land separating Lake Hawea from Wanaka - scoring the obligatory fisheye panoramas from the windswept tops.

Dave and Ditte link together stops for gelato and burgers (in that order) with honest exploration of Ben Lomond and the Queenstown hinterland.

The day started like any other. The sun came up in the east and slowly but surely persuaded the clouds to exit stage left. Our high country grand loop began at Moke Lake on the Ben Lomond Station Farm Road near Queenstown.

Sasha Smith recounts an entrancing six days of great food and better company, cycling around the Catlins at the bottom of the South Island. 

Back in the late eighties, mountain bikers use to ride big bloody heavy steel bone shaking and crushing mounts (and lived in shoe boxes in gutter), suspension was courtesy of Fisher Fattrax tyres and the rider's arms and legs, but boy did we enjoy the wild Skippers Pack Track.

Wanaka town floats at the edge of a beautiful blue lake cradled below a stunning rim of rocky and jagged mountains brimming with mountain bike trails to explore.

Behind the sprawling metropolis of Hawea township Nook Road heads to the start of the one and only Grandview Mountain Track. The name says it all.

Deane Parker, Rose Green and Rod Harrhy tackle a variation on the classic Cass-Lagoon backcountry circuit - taking the 'direct line' up Craigieburn Valley ski field.

Damian Stones, his son Zach and former Ground Effect staffer Zane Smith strike postcard-perfect weather on the 'almost complete' Paparoa Track.

The Paparoa Track joins the Old Ghost Road and Heaphy to form a holy trinity of multi-day backcountry rides on the upper West Coast. All are bucket list worthy. Ground Effect hit the Paparoas on opening weekend for our Xmas Party.